XannaPhotos

Amanohashidate 76.44.24

2011-10-30T09:48:00.001-07:00

Amanohashidate 76.44.24, originally uploaded by xanna ziskey.

MEILING in SL with My Memories Suite software

2011-09-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

Same photos as the previous post, but reworked with My Memories Suite software. Interested? Use this promo code for a good discount: STMMMS31772

Duality Reality Designer MEILING - White Peony

2011-09-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Experimenting with new software, "My Memories Suite"

2011-09-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

Model: Annabelle

Oh, this software could be very, very dangerously addictive. I had never heard of scrapbook software before My Memories, but I became an instant addict. The My Memories Suite V2 is one of the most intuitive programs I have ever worked with.

This is an image from Second Life of my model Annabelle, wearing an haute couture gown by Fellini. Everything except the photo is from this cool software. There are background papers, ribbons, lace buttons bows on and on....all sorts of goodies that you can use to frame and enhance your artwork.

Once you are satisfied with your embellishments and framing, you can either print it or share it, like I have here, on the web.

I have only been at this for two days, so I kept things simple for this post, but I will be using this software for photo books and cards of my own. I am amazed at the professional results combined with the ease of use. I do have some photo manipulation experience, a little Photoshop and GIMP, and this is way, way, way easier than those programs, while having a lot of standard features that will feel familiar to anyone with the most limited software knowledge.

Like all successful products these days, this is backed by an active website chocked full of advice, tutorials, community tips, showcases and of course, more design kits. You can step up your level of involvement and join a MMS club that give you freebies and other benefits.

New kits come out every month with different themes. Beach themes, for example, come complete with seashell and boat image embellishments, for example.

I had one stumble, where I wanted to change my template halfway through. I don't think that's possible, and I could not find the answer on how to do it, so I just started over. But really, the startover hardly cost me any time at all. It's that easy.

I have a promo code for this, which the creator is encouraging me to share, so if you want to get into digital scrapping, and lose the glue forever, then get the software at a discount.

Type in this promo code when you order, STMMMS31772, and get 10 dollars off the software, plus 10 dollars toward anything else at the My Memories Suite store, namely those irresistible kits that appear every month, usually between $2.99 and $5.99 for a whole kit. Have fun!

Mesh? Meh.

2011-09-07T00:53:00.000-07:00

Okay. I've experienced mesh. I put up with the new SL viewer just to check out the mesh showcase. These shorts are from JANE, Janie.Marlowe, creator. The deal with mesh clothing is that it's not adjustable, nor is it one size fits all like the clothes we're used to. Yes, the fit is nice, the way the cloth curves, et cetera, but my avatar, Miss May, is a healthy, not obese, shape, and these shorts are the biggest available, the "plump" version. Ahem, I have seen much bigger booty than mine shaking around the grid and they would just be out of luck with these shorts.

The other demo clothing was okay. I'd say that pants and shorts are the real winners with mesh, but damn, one of the best things about shopping in SL is the one size thing. Now I'll have to make adjustments to my avatar to fit into the clothes. Hey! That's too much like RL, no thank you.

Plus, I really, really hate the direction that LL keeps going with their viewers, so I was almost relieved that mesh did not lure me away from my beloved Phoenix viewer. Phoenix and Firestorm are working to get mesh also, eventually.

So, giving up on clothes, I wondered if plants might be fantastic in mesh, given the weird organic stuff I saw at Mesh Mellows. Heart Garden Center, one of the oldest and largest garden centers on the grid, posted their comments here, and I hope Linden Labs is listening. Heart says that yet, mesh makes beautiful plants, but the prim count makes them unsellable. If mesh is about beautifying SL and one of the most respected landscape centers says it's unworkable, then just what is going to get beautiful? One pair of shorts at a time will do nothing for the landscape.

I'm not sure about this latest venture. The plants could be awesome, but they will have to address prim count. The clothes do not surpass the best of what is non-mesh in SL, but they are new. We'll see. After a first glance, I'm in no hurry for an all mesh grid.

Mighty, mighty mesh

2011-09-04T01:54:00.000-07:00

Mesh mesh mesh mesh. Mesh. That's all I've heard for a month in the Phoenix and Firestorm viewer chat rooms. I was sick of it before I even experienced it. That was before I saw it.

Big Wow. Mouth open for minutes. I am back to the SL viewer only because it's the only viewer with which you can see this amazing new technology upgrade, the Mighty Mighty Mesh.

There is a Mesh Showcase in Search, although the new LL version search is so f--ked up that I went to my go-to groups, Caledon and Fashion Emergency, to get the skinny on where to see the Mighty Mighty Mesh.

The first LM on the Mesh showcase is for "Mesh Mellows." You TP to the region, then click another TP at the landing point for the Mesh display.

Mesh Mellows would not have been my first choice to debut this amazing technology. While the mesh builds there are impressively wrought, hanging around under the belly of a giant fly whilst surrounded by strange, tentacled creatures is not my idea of enjoyable. But I looked beyond the subject matter and, yes, I am completely knocked out by the technological advances and the graphics rendered by mesh.

Honestly, around mesh, I feel like I am submerged in a movie. Enough blogging, I can't wait to explore the mesh showcase more. See you on the next blog post!

MEILING the dual reality designer in Second Life

2011-08-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Annabelle tries different looks in a recent creation by Meiling, "La Perla," a gown that also exists in RL.

Designer Meiling is an exciting addition to Second Life, because she is realizing her famous designs in our lil ole virtual world. She is an acclaimed international designer in that meat world, y'all, for real, www.meilinginc.com, and you can buy virtual versions of her designs in SL. Welcome, Meiling!!! May she be the first of many.

I really, really love this dress and can hardly contain my excitement about Meiling's presence in Second Life. Having this dress in SL makes me want it in RL. I can't believe more fashion designers aren't doing this. Bravo, Meiling for seeing the light and paving the way. God Bless the Dual Reality Fashion pioneers.

Phoenix viewer

2011-04-05T06:40:00.001-07:00

These were captured at Alirium, a sim I am revisiting now that I am trying the Phoenix viewer. I run SL on a MacBook Pro, early 2009, and put up with the changing SL viewer until last week, when I wanted to change my profile. I loathe the new browser-like profiles in SL. They aren't intuitive to work with, they are ugly, stupid and I hate them.

But I'm fairly terrified of trying anything new, technologically, so I turned a deaf ear to all the raves about the Phoenix viewer until I ran into the profile wall of viewer 2. The Fashion Emergency group (<3) informed me that the profiles were the old pie system (ahhhh...) of the really old SL viewer, and so my resistance to trying something new finally wavered; I downloaded the new viewer and logged in.

I've been using Phoenix for about five days now, and, yeah, I like it much better. I must, because I actually removed the SLv2 icon from my dashboard, lest I inadvertently log in there from habit. I am loving Phoenix; I have little desire to return to SLv2.

Overall, faster rezzing and less lag. A nice mixed bag of the best of the old and new SL viewers. The windlight preset options, already built in, are amazing; there seems to be hundreds of them. Plus, all my carefully crafted windlight settings from SLv2 transferred right over.

To me, the only thing that would make this ideal would be to have the outfit-making capability of viewer2, plus, c'mon girls, once you get to make-up tattoo layers, it's hard to let them go.

So, that's what I want for Christmas: Phoenix with the SLv2 outfit-capability and tattoo layers.

Victorian fantasy garden

2011-04-01T10:31:00.001-07:00

Victorian fantasy garden, originally uploaded by xanna ziskey.

What a beautiful spot in Caledon Teslace. A hidden little crystal fantasy pond. Delightful. I'm having great fun using the system windlight settings built into the Phoenix viewer. This sky is one of Torley Linden's, [TOR] NIGHT Our Together

Passion

2011-03-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

How passionate are you about SL?

I am very passionate about my Second Life. I keep that to myself for the most part, because those closest to me in my First Life have very little interest in my Second Life. They have oohed ahhed over a picture or two, but usually the conversation degenerates to, "Yeah, but, I don't get it, I mean, this stuff isn't real." I'm sure, if you have discussed SL with the general populace, you have heard this same remark.

This blog, however, is for my "Second Side," so without any apologies, I shall flaunt my enthusiasm.

Indeed, my love for SL is just as strong as it was initially. The photo-sharing website Flickr.com is what truly fans the flames of my SL passion. I think I must move in SL very differently than most people; perhaps all photographers are this way. My favorite activity is to explore beautiful creations, photograph them and then post them on my Flickr stream, hoping to inspire others in some way.

The first site I check in the morning is my Flickr stream. I look at "recent activity" for the ego boost that comments on my photos give me, and I check to see what my contacts have been up to, and I look at the groups that post SLURLs to identify places worthy of exploration. I go to those places, and I try to dress in a way that is appropriate for the sim. I'm almost always a faery in Chakryn forest, a Victorian lady in Caledon, and a confident young woman in Amsterdam. Then of course there are the usual fanciful occasions: I have been a tiny yellow chick, a butterfly, a burlesque dancer, a grandmother, a princess and a male model, to name a few. Sometimes a sim so captivates my desire to fit into it that I get sidetracked by a shopping trip, assembling the appropriate outfit.

SL allows me to live my mind, which admittedly is a very distracted place. Focusing is a challenge for me; I am a butterfly, always lightly flitting from one idea to the next. There is joy in this approach, but little sense of accomplishment; and that's something I'm working on. Meanwhile, SL is the perfect venue for my wandering attention span, where a plethora of alternative environments are only a teleport away.

I also enjoy the interaction with others, which I achieve via the chat groups. I am a frequent visitor to the Caledon chat, where I am entertained by witty British participants of a certain age; and I thoroughly enjoy the Fashion Emergency chat group, which is THE best place to find anything in a hurry, and a good way to keep up with how women of all ages think these days. But I seldom speak with anybody in my visual field; I find it distracts from my main SL purpose, which is photography.

SL never, ever gets boring for me. I could do it all day, all night. I believe this is the definition of a passion.

Do I worry that I am addicted? I used to, but really, what does that mean? What is the difference between an addiction and a passion? My motivations to be in SL have evolved: I initially thought I would somehow make money at it. Perhaps, indirectly, one day I will, but I am no SL merchant, or rather, my foray into SL retail has not met with smashing success. I market a few sweaters; and I'm now selling some of my inworld photos at XanMade, but my real interest is in making dollars, not lindens, and I am keen to somehow export my art to the physical world. I'm working on a particular piece right now, but more on that later.

From time to time I look up from my Second Life and think, gee, is anybody else in this boat with me? It seems so many people have partners and friends in SL, and I envy the fun they must have together. I was shocked when my tight group of creative friends, one by one, rejected SL with a shrug, "a cute game, but not my thing." What?! But, the possibilities! This is a brand new art form, people, far beyond any "game." When, where, have people all over the world been able to instantly participate in each other's creations? It is mind-blowing, and I must think very differently, because most people just do not seem to "get it."

So for the most part, I just carry on doing my thing, posting my pics, exploring my worlds, creating. But I have to ask, I have to throw this out in to the ether...do you still love SL? Do you feel passionate about it? Or is it just a nice distraction. Do you feel addicted? Could you stop any time? Do you feel you have to hide your time in SL? Above all, do you feel that SL is an art form?

All comments welcome; thanks for reading.

Nordic sweater for men now available

2010-12-31T04:42:00.000-08:00

Keith, my go-to male model, looks like a big hunk of cabin man love here in my latest ski sweater, "Nordic in Natural" at XanMade.

LOTD: Between the Holidays

2010-12-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

I love it when I happen to be coordinated with the place I am in, and such was the case while shopping at some sale in some place I can't pronounce. Aitri? Anyay, I arrived in my Victorian Highway Dandywoman outfit, created by Sachi Vixen, and then I slowly changed pieces. The ruffly red top is still Sachi's, as for the rest:

Shape: Dancer, mine
Pants: Last Call (gone from grid)
Gloves: free woolen gloves from the shop on main street at Calas Galadhon
Boots: Bloom in black by Maitreya
Hair: Aveda short crop in silver
Skin: Belleza Peace On Earth hunt freebie from two years ago
Eyes: Winter Blue by Laughing Academy
eye sparkle: from Shapes by Zada (gone from grid?)
Make up: inner eyeliner in white by CheLLe, lash tatoo is lashes 14 by MiaMai, Les Makeups

2010-12-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

I have plans for this image. I am in love with the creative possibilities in Second Life. I have only just begun.

Using Second Life as a promotional tool in business.

2010-08-11T10:04:00.001-07:00

How fun is this. I am using one of my avatars in Second Life (Miss Holland, for those of you familiar with my flickr stream) to "model" our skirts in "Amsterdam."

We imported the skirt pattern (more or less) into SL, made a prim skirt (looks really bad from the back, neither one of us are SL designers, lol) and I had Miss Holland wear it while standing on the roof at the Amsterdam sim, with its photo-realistic facades. Then I hung it up at our shop over our skirts as an in-store promotion. I am going to do more of these, as I have been looking for ways to use SL images at La Naranja.

Hell-oooo toes!

2010-07-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

I am not a fashionista, but I do get caught up from time to time, and when everybody started talking about J's I had to check it out. Whoa. Toes. Pretty ones, With changeable nail polish and optional toe rings. After trying the demo, I am finding my normal SL feet hard to live with. Probably my next pair of shoes, will be feet!

Beyond the "Addiction"

2010-06-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

I think about Second Life and its implications for our society a lot more than I let on.

After three years, I know that SL is not a passing phase for me. For me, SL has enabled a special creative ability that had gone untapped for a very long time. To me, SL is simply the easiest, best, most fun way to create a beautiful image.

I can create the kind of beautiful women I always dreamed of drawing, but never had the talent to render.

I gather clothes and backgrounds created by fellow talented residents, and form my own perfect tableau.

The potential for SL and marketing and promotion is vast, and vastly untapped. In a way, that's okay, for those of us that still hold the vision of SL's possibilities.

I have several commercial projects in mind for my SL images. I track what gets viewed at www.flickr.com/photos/xannaziskey and I know what is popular.

We ignore the fact that we all share this planet, at our peril. SL brings us together in heretofore unimagined ways. In SL, I may wear an outfit created by woman in Japan while in a skin created by a woman in Holland while walking across a sim created by some guys in Germany.

I'm participating in people's creations, people who very likely are not owners of corporate label, but more apt to be the neighbor or the guy who sits in front of you in class or the delivery guy or your karate partner or...on and on and on...this world is one world, and it's for everybody. SL is profound, people, and it's waaaaaay beyond the virtual orgy.

"SL is dead," said a young group of marketers I happened to meet a short while back. I actually had to bite my tongue. I felt hurt, personally attacked. This is my art form, damn it. It sure is not dead to me. If anything, I am finding more and more uses for the images I create there.

I think I must be a very different sort of SL user. I rarely talk to people, other than the witty folks on the Caledon chat and the gals at Fashion Emergency. I have a beautiful plot in a forest and I spend my time creating fanciful faeries or pinup models. I take pictures and post to Flickr obsessively, because I keenly sense, still, as I did in the very beginning, that there is something very, very special going on here...I know it could be up in smoke tomorrow, and I want to record the beauty that I see.

So, declare it "dead" all day long; until they pull the plug on the thing, you'll find me there in virtual bliss.

Realistic shapes, only 25 lindens! MISS MAY

2010-05-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

Followers of this blog are the first to know...I am quietly putting out my shapes again in Hanbok. Now only 25 lindens (no mod, but copiable) as a thank you to anyone who is paying attention TAXI to XanMade -Xanna Ziskey

LOTD: Country Cutie

2010-05-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Jeans, vest and top: Pansy in Denim, by Inga Wind FREE!
Shape: Miss April, mine
Skin: Lakroki, Amber portrait
Pose: just relax, LAP
Hair: FD freebie, Kira in ruby
Location: Calas Galadhon

LOTD Cocktails at 8

2010-05-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

Dress: FREE from Inga Wind
Shoes: from Slink
Shape: Miss April, mine
Skin: from Lakroki, Amber Portrait
Hair: from 0 Style, Pompadour in black

LOTD walk around the pond

2010-05-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

shorts ensemble: Bessie in pink from "Pretty Lady." Great for summer wear, but the sides of the top don't line up in some places very well. Still, it's not noticeable but in some shots, and I have to give kudos to the shop for good customer service when there was a color snafu.
Shape: Miss May, mine
Hair: Rachael in dark brown by Calico Creations
Skin: Alyson SK by Belleza

LOTD Kinda cowgirl

2010-05-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

LOTD Kinda Cowgirl

2010-05-07T09:21:00.001-07:00

Today's look started with going through a freebie pack from Inga Wind and this flowered dress. It had a vintage western feel to it, somehow, and I think it looks really cute with the cowboy boots and hat.
Shape: West, XanMade
Skin: Belleza, Alyson sk1
Hair: ETD Laurie, with hat
Boots: Hoorenbeek
Cardigan: edge grafica
Necklace: "funk"tional color-changing necklace (my new favorite toy)
Dress: Fab freebie from Inga Wind, often signed as *IW* she has some great stuff for free (and to pay for, of course!)
Pose: DeePosed, fireside 2
Ring: Earthstones, everyday stone ring in silver
Manicure: from Catwalk in wine

SL Amsterdam

2010-04-10T03:56:00.000-07:00

Miss Holland tries out her Queen's day outfit in advance. Shot in SL Amsterdam's Dam Square. I am keeping an eye on Amsterdam, seems to be constantly growing and improving. They are doing occasional mixed reality events in Dam Square(s), which is the kind of thing I would like to see more of.

LOTD: Introducing Miss April

2010-04-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

Shape: Miss April (unreleased, XanMade)
Hair: Irelynn in Ginger by Damselfly
Pose: Centerfold 3, DeePosed
Lingerie: MIA D
Skin: Belleza, Alyson

Event setting height limit, RANT!

2010-03-30T07:35:00.001-07:00

Okay, Lindens, herz one that would take about two minutes to change: I found out the hard way that if you want to post an announcement to events, the system will not allow you do post if the TP point is set to over 1000 meters high. I sure wish I had found that out before I spent a day reconstructing my store at 1500 meters. Now I have to delete and move it down and put it back up again. At the very least, Linden could put a sentence in the Events section so we don't get the dang announcement all written before finding out we just wasted our time.

Oh well. I was too flummoxed to reconstruct the shop, so I decided to cool off at my new favorite place, the Galas Caladhon park sims. Ahhh, and to really appreciate, go there with the sound on, the nature noises are very good.

Herz ur taxi to this meadow in Glaudin.